We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic quantitative microbiologist for a fully funded 4-year PhD position. The PhD candidate for this project will be working at the Microbial Population Biology group in Groningen.

PhD candidates will receive excellent training through cutting-edge research projects, advanced courses and training opportunities, complemented by workshops on generic research, transferable skills and teaching. As a PhD candidate, you are committed to conduct independent and original scientific research, to report on this research in international publications and presentations, and to present the results of the research in a PhD dissertation, to be completed within 4 years.

Project summary
Polymicrobial infections can be viewed as ecosystems in which the community members interact. It is an open question how ecological interactions affect the evolution of the community members. In this project we will address the role of these interactions on the evolution of the community members, and the development of antibiotic resistance. In the project we will use polymicrobial urinary tract infections as a model system to study these eco-evolutionary interactions by means of experimental ecology and evolution.

The work will consist of a combination of microbial growth experiments, molecular biology and biochemistry, sequencing, data analysis and modeling.

Specific requirements: MSc with specialization in microbiology, ecology or evolution, quantitative biology, skills in data management and analysis, statistics and programming.

In addition to specific qualifications outlined above, the candidate has a good command of English (oral and written), is enthusiastic and a team-worker, has a passion for science, is highly motivated to work within the field of microbial ecology and evolution at the interface with medicine, possess excellent communication skills and the ability to write scientific papers and deliver presentations.

Fixed-term contract: 48 months.

The University of Groningen offers a salary of € 2,222 gross per month in the first year to a maximum of € 2,840 gross per month in the final year (salary scale Dutch Universities), based on a full-time position (1.0 FTE) excluding a 8% holiday allowance and a 8.3% end of the year bonus.
The position offered is for four years. Each successful candidate will first be offered a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that a successful completion of the PhD thesis within the contract period is to be expected. A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and the successful candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the Faculty. The conditions of employment are available at the University of Groningen website under Human Resources: https://www.rug.nl/about-us/work-with-us/

You may apply for this position until 21 May 23.59h / before 22 May 2018 Dutch local time, by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).

Interviews are scheduled to take place on 5 June 2018 in Groningen.

Applications for the position should include (as a single PDF file):
• cover letter with background and motivation to apply for this position (letter of motivation attachment)
• curriculum vitae, including details of bachelor and master degrees and publication list, if applicable (CV attachment)
• detailed (1-2 pages) description of previous research experience, such as the bachelor/master research projects (extra attachment 1)
• contact details of 2 people who can provide information on your suitability for the position (extra attachment 2).

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.
Supervisor
Dr Marjon de Vos

The preferred starting date is 1 December 2018.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative centre of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Flexible study programmes and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines encourage the 30,000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, the University of Groningen has joined forces with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global centre of knowledge.

The Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES)
GELIFES, the largest institute of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) fills a special niche in the life sciences by covering and integrating mechanistic, evolutionary and ecological approaches, aiming to understand adaptation on all levels of biological organisation. Researchers pursue fundamental questions while collaborating with partners from nature conservation, industry, medicine and other realms of society. Our research fields include ecology, conservation biology, evolutionary biology, behavioural biology, chronobiology, genetics and genomics, neurobiology, physiology and theoretical modelling, using a wide array of research tools. Research levels range from molecular and organismal to populations and ecosystems, performed under laboratory, semi-natural and field conditions.